How to remove paint from chrome wheels

[olskool]

I just bought a 1990 V3500. The owner painted the chrome wheels flat black. What is the best way to remove the paint and bring back the chrome finish?

 

[Randy92782]

First question is why he painted the wheels in the first place. rust or other?

next question is what did he use to sctratch the chrome finish to get the paint to stick?

you may never get it back to the chrome finish and make it look good.

not sure what to take it off with though. Any pics of the wheels?

 

[dremu]

I just bought a 1990 V3500. The owner painted the chrome wheels flat black. What is the best way to remove the paint and bring back the chrome finish?

I'm thinking brake fluid, if you can get it to stick. Ideally you'd get a vat big enough to fit a wheel in and dunk the whole thing ... but that's a lot of brake fluid ($$). Coupla gallons though, might do it, and it's reusable -- the fluid will turn black with the paint, but it'll keep eating at it.

There are also gel paint strippers that are stickier... brush on, leave for a half an hour or whatever, brush off. These are not so reusable, i.e. once they're clogged up with paint they're done.

The key will be to not use any abrasive method, like a wire brush or a scraper. For the brake fluid, particularly, a toothbrush might work well.

Or buying new chrome wheels.

EDIT: Oh yeah, Randy's right ... if the paint is adhered well, the chrome will be pitted and/or scuffed irreparably. If the PO just painted over the chrome, it should be flaking off already, and brake fluid'll do it easy.

-- A

 

[olskool]

The paint is flaking off and from the looks of the bare spots it doesn't look like he prepped the wheels at all.

They are the very cheap $50 wheels that you see in all the ads.

I am afraid of taking all the paint off only to reveal rust (and I think that might be so). But in that case i will just repaint them until I get new wheels.

I might try the brake fluid tomorrow but are there anymore ideas out there?

 

[Randy92782]

I was gonna suggest just taking off the paint and if there is rust just repainting them but you already thought of that.

An aircraft stripper of some kind is another thing i'd suggest

Good luck

 

[nad]

Brake fluid, brake cleaner, carb cleaner.

 

[olskool]

I really don't want to use gallons of brake fluid to soak the wheels in.

Would wiping on some brake fluid and very fine steel wool work or would it be to abrasive?

 

[Randy92782]

I really don't want to use gallons of brake fluid to soak the wheels in.

Would wiping on some brake fluid and very fine steel wool work or would it be to abrasive?

I would say steel wool can't hurt cause i've used it to clean my wheels. Just make sure to go with a fine wool.

 

[bp71k5]

paint remover would probably work too. Cheaper than brake fluid.

 

[lister]

my chrome wheels on my 81 are rusting along the bead and where the centers are welded on, chrome does rust and eventually wears off, sounds like a cheap fix for badly rusted chrome, you might try using an sos scouring pads, they worked good for me

 

[dremu]

I really don't want to use gallons of brake fluid to soak the wheels in.

Would wiping on some brake fluid and very fine steel wool work or would it be to abrasive?

Try a rag soaked in brake fluid, then, just leave it sitting on the wheel. If you've never used brake fluid as a paint-peeler, trust me ... left sitting, that stuff just pops the paint right up, especially on poorly prepped surfaces.

-- A

 

[BKinzey]

Uh... So what's wrong with paint remover?

 

[johnnychimpo]

Wire brush & a drill. I have some chrome spokes(rusty) I got for free. I wire brushed them & it took off the rust & left the chrome "very sparkly".

 

[Drey]

my stock chrome rims were trashed when I get my truck I used some muratic acid on them. put a lil on with a rag like i was polishing them, then washed it of off with water.